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Serbian president says he plans to ask for additional gas volumes from Russia

Vucic plans to have have more than 6 mln cubic meters of gas

BELGRADE, December 25. /TASS/. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic plans to have telephone talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Saturday and ask for additional gas volumes for the country.

"We will have more than 6 mln cubic meters of gas. Tomorrow I will have another telephone conversation with President Putin. <…> I will ask for additional gas volumes among other things, we will also discuss all other issues, analyze everything that happened during the year," Vucic said in an interview aired by the TV Prva channel on Friday.

On December 14 the Serbian leader said he hoped that his country would soon agree on additional purchases of Russian gas at a reduced price. Serbia currently needs extra 6 mln cubic meters of gas per day, which may only be purchased at a commodity exchange at a high price. On December 9, Vucic said that the CEO of Gazprom Alexei Miller assured him that the republic would not be left without gas, adding that Serbia and Russia were discussing the possibility of additional purchases of gas due to the cold weather.

Miller and Vucic had a video call on December 7 to discuss issues of gas supplies. It was noted that in January-November 2021 Gazprom’s gas supplies to Serbia were 57% higher than during the whole 2020.

Russia kept the gas price for Serbia at $270 for the next six months following the talks in Sochi on November 25. After that period Belgrade will enjoy what Vucic called "exceptional" terms of the long-term gas contract.